Kansas River at Topeka
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 11:30 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 26.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 7.00 ftThu, Sep 24, 1:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 47.20 ft1844
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 44.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 27.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 26.00 ft |
| Action | 15.00 ft |
- 43.00 ftFloodwaters overflow West Waterworks levee top.
- 42.00 ftWater tops the levees on north and south banks at the Sardou bridge.
- 38.00 ftFlood waters reach South Topeka Gap at Union Pacific Railroad bridge.
- 37.50 ftFloodwaters overflow Union Pacific Railroad lifting bridge west of Topeka Blvd.
- 37.00 ftFlood waters reach base of stoplog gap across Union Pacific Railroad near Ward Martin Creek.
- 26.00 ftRiver Road under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad bridge begins to flood.
- 23.00 ftOverflow of low-lying rural areas begins west of topeka.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 26, 2026.
Crest history
125 crests on NOAA’s list since 1844.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 1, 1844 | 47.20 ft |
| 2 | July 13, 1951 | 40.80 ft |
| 3 | July 24, 1993 | 34.97 ft |
| 4 | June 30, 1951 | 33.90 ft |
| 5 | June 9, 1908 | 33.00 ft |
| 6 | June 5, 1935 | 32.70 ft |
| 7 | October 12, 1973 | 32.29 ft |
| 8 | June 17, 1943 | 31.80 ft |
| 9 | June 12, 1941 | 30.80 ft |
| 10 | May 24, 1995 | 29.40 ft |
| 11 | May 7, 2007 | 28.69 ft |
| 12 | March 8, 1967 | 27.89 ft |
| 13 | May 18, 1995 | 27.52 ft |
| 14 | May 9, 1993 | 27.37 ft |
| 15 | June 24, 2019 | 27.15 ft |
| 16 | May 11, 1993 | 27.01 ft |
| 17 | May 12, 1993 | 27.00 ft |
| 18 | June 9, 1982 | 26.86 ft |
| 19 | September 27, 1973 | 26.83 ft |
| 20 | November 2, 1998 | 26.43 ft |
| 21 | May 27, 2016 | 25.94 ft |
| 22 | June 5, 2015 | 25.90 ft |
| 23 | June 10, 1984 | 25.64 ft |
| 24 | July 23, 1992 | 25.58 ft |
| 25 | June 3, 2011 | 25.53 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 31, 2023: 8.37 ft
- May 31, 2022: 20.00 ft
- May 17, 2021: 18.34 ft
- May 26, 2020: 16.78 ft
- June 24, 2019: 27.15 ft
- September 16, 2018: 12.16 ft
- April 5, 2017: 19.37 ft
- May 27, 2016: 25.94 ft
- June 5, 2015: 25.90 ft
- June 10, 2014: 17.09 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.